#Collaborate #silos with #Business #Process

#Automation

Jun 9, 2015

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Organizations typically begin with a structure built around a relative handful of

individuals with specific and separate responsibilities, and grow outward from there.

In the early days, processes flow freely as

the principals seek each other out to complete tasks or resolve issues. But as the workload

increases, staff and technology are added to handle it. Such interactions become less frequent

and more forced and the groups become increasingly less collaborative. Over time, they become

independent silos unto themselves, and even end up investing in their own computing processes

to optimize their efficiency.

Inside the silos,

nothing about this seems illogical in thinking that "No one else does what we do, so why

shouldn't we do our own thing?" But organizationally, it results in the proliferation of

disconnected processes and infrastructure supports, and the propagation of a standalone

culture that makes it nearly impossible to achieve efficacy and economy on an enterprise

scale.

Traditional techniques would have you spend time and money to programmatically integrate

the various systems so they can talk to one another. Unfortunately, many (especially legacy)

applications aren't built to accommodate this or require some seriously heavy lifting to crack

them open. However, every system includes some degree of metadata support and BPM can use

the metadata to move processes forward.

Business process

tools are getting more attention as enterprise architects ponder strategies for bringing greater

agility to the enterprise. These tools allow business managers more direct control and

communication around enterprise applications. To have informed discussions, enterprise

architects and C-level executives should get clarity on the different nuances of business process

management (BPM), business process as a service (BPaaS) and intelligent BPM (iBPM).

It means you can start breaking your silos down (probably) without having to invest in any new

technology.To do this, though, you have to turn your BPM on.

It's a great way to maximize the total value of the software you already have in place --

and your compliance people, perhaps

first among others, will love you for it.

Cloud versus in-house BPM :

Enterprises need to consider the tradeoffs between cloud and in-house BPM regarding

relative data protection and exit flexibility offered by the two models.

A cloud-based service allows for relatively easier

deployment and upgrades. These might be a good choice when the enterprise is already

leveraging software-as-a-service applications for customer relationship management, enterprise

resource planning or human resources.

To conclude : Business process management -- an old approach aimed at making an

organization’s workflow more effective -- has been refashioned with the addition of cloud

services and analytics. Intelligent BPM, as it’s known, is still firmly in the hype cycle,

according to Gartner. That’s not to say that organizations aren’t interested. In fact, iBPM is

poised for widespread adoption.